Reynolds takes third Porsche win for Triple X

V8 Supercar driver David Reynolds has taken his third successive victory at this weekend’s second round of the New Zealand Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge series, leading his Triple X team to a one-two for the Ruapuna weekend.

Having not driven a Porsche race car since finishing second overall in the previous season standings, the 24-year-old Melbourne race car driver made a late return, beating his championship leading team-mate in both of today’s sprint races to second.

Driving the Hampsta/Indians Bar Porsche 997, Reynolds won the late Sunday morning ten-lap, using two new tyres in a weather strategy that put him well ahead of the 14-car field.

Second, Craig Baird in the Mad Butcher ZM car had an opposite strategy, saving his tyre allocation for the afternoon top-six reverse grid race – planning to optimise his chances for a dry track.

While the weather had improved from Saturday’s wet race, conditions changed early in the afternoon that saw a return of the rain just as the cars started the 14-lap top-six reverse-grid finale. Starting from pole position, Daniel Gaunt in the Placemakers/Hampsta Porsche 997 was overtaken by Reynolds in the run to the first turn, settling for third in the early stages. As the rain continued to fall, officials declared an early finish, rather than force teams to switch to wet-weather tyres.

“I got a fantastic start,” said Reynolds of his race. “That new carbon clutch in the car is almost like starting a V8 Supercar. The race panned out well; I went round the outside at the first corner, put my head down, pulled a gap and played it smart. Halliday, who was behind me, went off briefly and that gave me an even better gap – so I could relax and just concentrate on bringing it home.”

Starting from dead-last in the championship, Reynolds is now placed seventh having missed the first three races in the new season: “It’s unfortunate I missed the first round – but the idea is to end up on the podium before the finish, helping the Triple X Team to another championship one-two-three by winning as many races I can.”

Extending his lead overall, defending champion Craig Baird has a 102 point lead over second placed and team-mate Daniel Gaunt.

“I could only just hang on to the car out there, so concentrated on just finishing – it’s too early in the championship to take risks when I was going to extend my position,” said Baird in transition from his Porsche to the V8 he is also campaigning this season.

“We had a tyre strategy for the reverse-grid race so to see the rain was really disappointing, but it’s great to have David back and help the team again in the championship.”

Finishing eighth this morning, team principal Shane McKillen in the VnC Cocktails/Juice Bar Porsche 997 started just behind David Reynolds in the final race – finishing tenth in poor visibility.

A ninth in the morning race by Christchurch car dealer Paul Kelly, a switch to wet-weather tyres during the first lap of the afternoon race allowed him to climb from last to seventh.

Following yesterday’s crash in qualifying, Auckland’s Courtney Letica remains in Christchurch hospital, under observation for concussion and is receiving treatment for a lower-leg fracture.

Wishing the 21-year-old a speedy recovery, the team have been making repairs to his Altherm Porsche 997 to allow transport to the Auckland based workshop. Packing the remaining five cars, the Triple X Motorsport team will return to the South Island early in the New Year for two successive weekends’ of racing, starting with Teretonga near Invercargill January 15-17, and then Timaru January 22-24.

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Points: Battery Town Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge – top 11 after round of two.

Pos, car, driver, home, points
1 1 Craig Baird – Triple X - Queensland 546
2 3 Daniel Gaunt – Triple X - Auckland 444
3 9 Matt Halliday USA 436
4 21 Jonny Reid Auckland 430
5 96 Anthony Pedersen Rotorua 394
6 32 Mitch Cunningham Auckland 306
7 82 David Reynolds – Triple X - Melbourne 300
8 5 Andrew Bagnall Auckland 285
9 8 Simon McLennan Wellington 242
10 26 Simon Evans Auckland 238
11 11 Shane McKillen – Triple X - Auckland 237